And Then There Were Seven
by Caitriona3
Summary: A quick trip to the restroom and everything goes to pot. Take a volatile mix and add some ice it might just be a fiery combination. WarrenOC WillLayla MajentaZach Where do they go from here?
1. Melinda

_Sky High and recognizable characters belong to Disney, etc. I lay claim to Melinda McKay and the plot twist. I also lay claim to the story after the end of the movie era._

And Then There Were Seven

Melinda McKay crept down the hallway, feeling ridiculous.

_Can't imagine why…take a quick run to the restroom and suddenly here I am trying to sneak around my own high school in a formal gown and heels._

Still, all of the screaming from the gym made her nervous. What was going on?

_And…do I hear…babies crying?_

Another few feet and she could peer around the corner. Someone had lowered the gates to the gym – the gym that was now littered with babies. On one side of the gym, two costumed characters transferred the tots into high-tech car seats. Melinda pulled back.

_Now what?_

Given the total lack of devastation back there, odds were good that the Commander and Jetstream had been the first targets. Some of the teachers were "Hero" class, but they'd been out of the field for how long? She had no idea if anyone else had escaped, but she had to find some help.

As she headed for the entrance, she could hear a voice, a taunting, teasing voice. Moving a little faster, she came to a hallway juncture in time to see Speed playing "catch me if you can" with Warren Peace.

_Let's see…brutish bully or brooding bad-boy?_

With a flick of her wrist, a patch of ice coated the floor. Speed hit the patch and lost control. With the help of a well-aimed fireball, he barreled into the wall. Dark eyes met blue for a moment before the door to the boys' room opened. Out stepped a kid in vivid orange and glasses. He took in the scene before offering his hand to her.

"Ethan Fontaine – I melt."

She blinked and then grinned.

"Well, that would be one way to introduce yourself. I'm Melinda McKay – I do ice."

A smothered snort got their attention. Warren fought down a smirk before he turned to Ethan.

"Where's Lash?"

Ethan grinned and described the scene in the bathroom.

"Nice going, Popsicle. So, Snowflake, how'd you escape?"

She glared at him for a long moment.

"Is it pathologically impossible for you to refer to someone by name?"

He just lifted an eyebrow and waited.

She rolled her eyes.

"I stepped out of the gym to go to the ladies room. Next thing I know the entire place is echoing with screams. Also, the gym floor is covered with babies. What happened?"

"Gwen Grayson."

She lifted both eyebrows at that.

"Gwen? Miss 'I'm too perfect for you cretins' has suddenly decided she wants to open a daycare?"

A new voice interjected into the conversation.

"I doubt it."

Shifting, Melinda turned to see a girl in purple being helped to her feet by a tall boy in yellow. She'd seen these two and Ethan hanging out with a girl in green and the Stronghold guy.

_Orange, purple, yellow, green…throw in Warren Peace and Will Stronghold…can we say rainbow?_

The purple girl turned to her.

"Just to stay in scene, I'm Majenta Melisande – shapeshifter."

"Zach Halbert – I light it up."

Melinda bit her lip for a moment until she had the laugh firmly under control.

"The pleasure's mine."

Warren stepped up.

"Getting back to the point? Gwen is on a bit of a rampage?"

The shrill scream caught them all off guard. The three color-coded sidekicks fell back while Warren and Melinda powered up. The green girl came running down the hall, almost babbling about Penny and the school's anti-gravity unit. In no time, the four sidekicks were pouring over the blueprints of the school.

_If green girl beat Penny, Boomer was off in Power Placement._

As it turned out, only Majenta could get small enough to reach the anti-gravity unit. Zach and Ethan would stay behind to help her, leaving the other three free to go to Will's assistance. The girls managed to introduce themselves as they ran to the gym.

"Layla Admon."

"Melinda McKay."

Upon reaching the gym, they saw that Will setting up for a punch. Layla called out.

"Will!"

He looked away from the villain who delivered an electrically charged punch that sent him flying out the window and off the side of the school's platform. Royal Pain stood and tossed her head.

It was totally out of place, but Melinda couldn't help the nasty little thought running through her head.

_Doesn't work so well without her hair flying around._

"And there goes your last chance to stop me."

"We'll see about that."

More to keep her from rushing Royal Pain directly, Melinda moved forward with Layla. She noticed Warren had an arm blocking her as well. They seemed to be in sync anyway – the best offense would be from a distance. None of them could fly.

A figure appeared in the window behind Royal Pain.

"Surprised? I know I am."

The shock gave Will an opportunity that he took full advantage of. As the villain seemed defeated, he ran into Layla's arms. Melinda blew out her breath, and even Warren smiled. Suddenly, the bottoms dropped out of their stomachs. Royal Pain had managed to set-off her device, shutting down the school's anti-gravity unit.

_Lesson number one – don't turn your back on the enemy until they have been completely neutralized. I think I'll remember that one at mid-terms._

Will flew out to try and slow things down while the other three prayed.

_Breathe, girl, breathe. Breathe._

Melinda kept her eyes closed and focused on her breathing. Each of her hands were caught by the others – the one on her left by Layla's delicate hand and the one on her right by Warren's callused one.

Slowly, so slowly, they stopped falling. After a moment of rest, the school began to rise once more. When all movement had stopped, she opened her eyes. Warren stood immediately, releasing their hands, but the two girls took a few more moments just to catch their breath. Melinda blew a stand of white hair out of her eyes.

_Good thing I'm blonde. I'm betting my streaks are wider than ever!_

Will flew back in the window, and official introductions were made. They collected the sidekicks and, although it seemed a bit anticlimactic, they helped Ron Wilson round up the babies, got Mr. Medulla to his lab, and tossed the villains into detention with Principal Powers' keycard.

_Though I'd like to know where sweet little Layla learned to pick a lock._

As people were being "de-pacified," Melinda stood with the others in the hallway, watching the confusion. Will talked to his parents, perfectly willing to take the blame, but they wouldn't let him. The Commander even acknowledged the sidekicks as heroes.

_He's a bit dense – sweet though. Jetstream seems awfully nice too._

Bad guys beaten, everyone else back to normal, and the dance picked up. She stood in front of the crowd, shaking her head.

_Like nothing had happened._

She glanced at Warren and saw him smirking back at her. With a quick smile, she powered up her left hand. His smirk changed into a real, if small, smile, and he powered up his right. They cancelled each other out. Walking away from the party, they found a secluded table to sit.

"Like to people-watch, Snowflake?"

"After running around all night? Beats trying to dance in these heels, Hothead."

Their eyes met, challenge and amusement vying in both sets. Turning back to the dance floor, Melinda nodded to Zach.

"If you can call that dancing."

The party lasted a few more hours and the two of them watched it all. Trading sarcastic comments about the crowd while throwing minor insults at each other, they managed to have a really good time. Will and Layla made it back in just before midnight and the foursome made vague arrangements to meet up the following afternoon. Vague on Warren's part anyway – the other three were more concrete. Melinda covered a smirk as she waved farewell to her new friends.

_Brooding bad-boy, son of Barron Battle, at the Stronghold household. This out to be fun to watch._


	2. The Strongholds

_Sky High and recognizable characters belong to Disney, etc. Any mistakes are mine. I lay claim to Melinda McKay, other unrecognizable characters, and the plot twist. I also lay claim to the storyline after the end of the movie era._

Chapter 2

The Strongholds

_What time is it?_

Melinda rolled over, slapping at the snooze button on her alarm. Glaring at the clock, she tried burrowing back under the covers. Why did she have to be up so early on a Saturday? It's not like she had plans. Did she? Unfortunately, in trying to remember, she managed to get her brain in gear and her body followed. With a pressing need to go to the bathroom, she got out of bed, yawning.

_Ugh, morning breath._

She went through her morning routine, playing the previous night's event out in her head. Now she remembered, since she was going to Will's house this afternoon, she wanted to get some research done. As a special assistant to Mr. Medulla, she had outside research projects. Having the extra work on weekends did not always thrill her, but it had helped her focus her powers better.

_I'll bet the others are still sleeping._

Going into the kitchen, she found a note from her guardian, Vedette.

"Mellie, I hope you had a good time at the dance. When I get back, you can tell me all about it. I'm headed out to visit my brother. Jacan thinks he's finally found a way to make a living and wants to show me. I should be back in a week or so. I've frozen some dinners for this week, and left some money in the safe. Don't forget to water the plants, and do not feed that new cat the neighbors have picked up. He's a beggar. Call if you need anything."

Melinda snorted.

_Right – 'cause you'll just swing in from Venice._

Vedette could be really sweet, but she was a bit air-headed. Half the time, Melinda figured she was taking care of Vedette instead of the other way around. With a roll of her eyes, she dropped the note in the trash and made for the fridge. After making a sandwich and grabbing some soda, she headed down to her study. A couple hours of hard work and she could take off without any guilt.

She knocked on the front door of the Stronghold residence.

"Melinda!"

"Hi, Layla."

The red-head hugged her and then ushered her inside.

"I'm so glad you made it. Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold wanted to meet you. They've met the others of course. Well, not Warren, but we're not even sure he's coming. It might be uncomfortable, really, at least for him. With the history and everything, I mean. When we talked to him last night, he never did commit, did he?"

Melinda waited a beat, just to make sure Layla was done.

"No, he didn't. Still, even talking about the idea of coming here is a big step."

"Exactly. Come on in."

Smiling, Melinda allowed herself to be pulled into the den. She bit her tongue when she realized the others were still color-coded. The two adults stood to greet her as Layla brought her over.

"Mr. Stronghold, Mrs. Stronghold, this is Melinda McKay."

Mr. Stronghold gave her a charming smile as he took her hand.

"Welcome to our home."

Mrs. Stronghold's smile was warm and friendly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. You're welcome to put your purse in the kitchen. Would you like something to drink? We have soda, water, tea…can I get you anything?"

"Some tea would be great."

After a few more minutes of chatter, the adults disappeared into the back of the house while the teens grouped around the coffee table. Almost at once the conversation turned to Homecoming, Layla leading the way.

"Last night only proves how little labels mean. Think about it – if any one of us had not been there, we might never have stopped her. It took all of us working together, hero and sidekick."

"If I hadn't screwed up, it wouldn't have happened at all."

"Sure it would have, bro. Maybe not in the same way, but that chick was determined."

"Our efforts deserve some recognition, but we were helped by the congruence of factors that allowed us to maximize…"

"In English."

Melinda started laughing at the exasperated look on Majenta's face as she interrupted Ethan.

"He basically restated Layla's point – it took all of us, and a little luck, to pull last night off."

"Why can't he just say that?"

"Well, he did…in his verbiage."

Everyone started laughing when Majenta grimaced. People began trading family tales. Melinda learned that Will and Layla had grown up together, while Zach had been their friend since elementary school. They met Ethan and Maj on the first bus ride to Sky High. While Will and Layla each had famous hero parents, the other three sets of parents were sidekicks. Zach's mom was a minor technopath – she could diagnose mechanical problems, but had to fix them the hard way. His dad created electric shocks – not enough to hurt anyone, but he could help restart a person's heart. He was a favorite among EMTs. Ethan's dad should have been a sailor – he could read water currents the way a weather power could read the wind. He didn't melt solo like Ethan did, but he could blend with any form of liquid. His mom had a tracking talent – if she knew you, she could find you. Shape shifters made up the entirety of Maj's family. Her mom could shift into an inanimate object while her dad turned into a falcon. All of them wanted to hear about Melinda.

"My parents were Devlin and Sophia McKay – better known as Vortex and Zephyr."

Ethan perked up.

"I know those names. They could both control the wind. Although they didn't work together usually, they did…umm…"

His voice trailed off as he looked away from her. Everyone stared for a long moment, waiting for one of them to speak. Her eyes focused intensely on the picture above the mantel, she spoke in a distant tone.

"They did on their last mission. They had joined forces to take on Miasma. She could create a cloud over a city that rained poison instead of rain. She fought them for a while before retreating. They followed her, leaving their sidekicks behind. They were never seen again. Her plane went down, but no bodies were ever recovered."

"So that's why you seem familiar."

A soft voice came from the door to the kitchen. Josie Stronghold stood there, blinking back tears.

"Courage and wisdom – a perfect combination. That's how we saw them, you know."

"Mom?"

"Their names, Will, that's what their names meant. Devlin means fierce courage, while Sophia means wisdom."

She came further into the room and sat beside Melinda on the sofa. Her husband perched on the arm next to his wife. Taking Melinda's hand, she brushed back a lock of white-blond hair. Her eyes were very kind.

"Devlin could be loud and even brash, matching Steve or Barron. The three of them would rush headlong into everything. Fate seemed to like all three though – they never got in over their heads at school. It's almost a blessing they never worked together. I'm not sure there would have been a school left for you to attend."

Tears glinted in Melinda's eyes. She remembered her parents, but the grief had changed into "might-have-been" by now. Six years had passed since the last time she saw them. The deeper voice of Steve Stronghold entered the conversation.

"Sophia was different, always calm, serene. I can only remember seeing her truly angry a handful of times in high school. People learned the very first time out – if Sophia's mad, duck. Gale force winds would whip through the common area and the poor fool who had upset her never did it twice. I think two of them were homebound for a week with vertigo. Still, she would help any one who needed it. Her grades were the best in her year – valedictorian easily."

"They balanced each other. She calmed him down and he shook her up. It was fun to watch."

Melinda blinked away her tears and smiled at both of them.

"It's always nice hearing about my parents. Vedette never talks about them. I don't think she's forgiven herself for staying behind."

"Who's Vedette?"

She turned to Layla, who was wiping her eyes.

"Vedette is my guardian. She was Mom's sidekick – Karma. She can…I'm not sure how to describe what she does. Her power is very subjective. When she invokes it, she can't control what the outcome is. It…influences things so that her target had the worst luck for an hour. Take a robbery – if she's there and focuses on the robber, his weapon backfires, he trips, or drops the money – or it could be all of the above. I back talked one time, and she nailed me. My favorite shirt ripped; I lost my necklace; every barrette I tried to use broke…I learned quick not to mess with her in a mood."

Will winced.

"Ouch, not fun. Did she mind you coming over?"

"No, she's gone to visit her brother in Venice. She'll be back in a week or so."

"Does she leave you often?"

Melinda turned to face Will's mom, shaking her head.

"No, not really. Up until this year I would stay with a friend if she had to leave. I'm fifteen now, so she's comfortable allowing me to take care of myself."

"Well, make sure you have our number before you leave. If you need anything, all you need to do is call."

"Thanks."

The adults smiled at all of them and left the room once more. Keeping the conversation light, they compared opinions on the teachers and classes. Before they knew it, it began to get dark and all of them were invited to stay for dinner. It turned into a fun evening, listening to Will's parents reminisce about when they were in school, and how much (or little) things had changed. As the conversation continued, they began to talk about life after school and what it was like being superhero parents. His dad glossed it a bit, but his mom described the very real difficulty of taking care of a baby while trying to save the world.

"Even normal babies, born to normal parents, bring difficult changes. We had it easier than some parents since Will didn't immediately manifest his powers."

For some reason, that conversation lingered in Melinda's head as she got ready for bed that night. It had been a fun afternoon and evening, full of insight and information, but that was what kept bothering her the rest of the weekend.

_AN – Warren didn't show? Are we surprised? He'll be in Chapter 3 – I promise!_


	3. Monday

_As per usual, I own nothing that you recognize from the film. Melinda and other OC's are mine. The Chinese is taken from an online dictionary, so if the grammar is bad – it is my fault! I don't speak it._

Chapter 3

Monday

_I need a new alarm clock. I really hate that buzzing._

Melinda swatted at the clock as she sat up. Her eyes narrowed on it for a long moment, but she decided to kill it later.

_It would make a charming little ice sculpture._

Mondays were not her favorite day of the week. In her mind, nothing good ever happened on a Monday. There was a reason her all time favorite cartoon had a fat, orange cat. With Vedette gone, it was tempting to roll back into bed, but Vedette would just know and she'd never hear the end of it. Stretching out her full length, she groaned as could feel her bones popping.

_Time to get ready for school and see how far I make it before I have to freeze those two creeps again. Honestly, you'd think they'd get tired of having to be defrosted. Boys._

She hopped the bus without much thought; already nose deep into her new book. Being such a bookworm gained her few friends, but her teachers adored her vocabulary. Besides, reading never hurt anyone.

As the bus landed, she put her book away and stepped off. Walking towards the school, she tried to watch for her usual pests. She didn't see them in time. Sure enough, there was a quick tag, or push, on her rear.

_I hate Mondays._

This time when she turned around, she didn't have time to ice them over.

Two vines popped out of the ground and tripped the boys. More vines grew up around them, and soon all you could see were two extremely panicked faces peering out of green wrappings. They looked like two mummies. She grinned down at her adversaries as two other students joined her.

"Hi, Melinda."

"Hey, Layla, Will. Nice work."

"Better Layla then me. I might've caught them before they went off the edge, but…"

They all started laughing as they headed for the building. They split up after agreeing to meet at lunch.

Later that day

Grabbing her tray, Melinda walked into the lunchroom and looked around. She spotted Layla heading directly for Warren's table. Even at that distance, Melinda could see the look of stunned shock on his face as the perpetually cheerful girl sat down. Muffling a chuckle, she headed towards them.

By the time Melinda reached the table, Maj had planted herself next to Layla. With an amused smirk, she walked to the other side of the table.

"Hey, everybody."

Warren stared at her as she took the seat next to him. She gave him a sweet, wide-eyed smile, almost daring him to comment. Before he could, the other boys walked up, taking seats as though they had been friends all year, not just the weekend. She bit the inside of her cheek; the look on Warren's face was almost comical. He glanced around the table.

"What's going on?"

Maj speared him with a sardonic look.

"Just a guess, but I'd say…lunch."

He glared at her. Before he could say anything else, Melinda elbowed him.

"Just go back to your book. We'll manage to entertain ourselves."

With a final long glare around the table, he returned to his reading, grumbling under his breath in Chinese.

"And watch your language."

Everyone's heads snapped to her. Layla gave her another large smile.

"You speak Chinese?"

"Not fluently, just a few words. However, I do know when I'm being cussed at. _Tingzhi._"

He gave a small grunt and buried his nose back in the book. Will grinned at her before turning to the rest of the group.

"They've fixed most of the school already – except the gym. Boomer's ticked."

Everybody laughed and the conversation flowed over the next hour. People paused near the table, looking like they wanted to talk, but they didn't invite any contact. Melinda had never had a group she connected with so quickly. Even Warren threw in a couple of comments, after he accepted they were willing to give him space and not force it. He never looked up from his book, of course, but it was a start.

Majenta mentioned a phone call from her cousin that she had gotten Saturday night.

"Apparently she's having another baby. My aunt's going all frantic because that'll be three kids, all under the age of five. She thinks it'll be too difficult for her."

A faint alarm went off in Melinda's head. She opened her mouth, but before she could make a comment the bell rang. Everyone scattered. She tried to focus on her afternoon classes, but her mind kept revolving around this past weekend.

_Why do I have babies on the mind? First with Mrs. Stronghold and now Maj. I know I'm missing something – something obvious. _

She felt like hitting something. Even as she tried to bring her thoughts in order, the alarm sounded louder and louder in her head.

_This is ridiculous. I'm getting a headache over some stupid vague concern – about babies?? Babies…multiple…difficult to handle…babies…in the plural…_

Suddenly, as she sat in Villain Psychology, the light went off in her head.

_Oh, damn!_

She had to find the others. Unfortunately, she had Medulla last on Mondays, so the freshman bus was gone by the time she got away from him. Looking around, she spotted Warren heading off.

"Warren! Wait up!"

He turned frowning.

"What?"

People edged away from them, wary of Warren's attitude. She just rolled her eyes – people could be so stupid.

_He hasn't even powered up._

"I think we've overlooked something."

"It's been a long day. Spit it out."

"You know, Hothead, patience is a virtue."

"Not when you're going to make me miss the bus like you did."

"What?"

Her head whipped around. Sure enough, the sophomore bus to Maxville was taking off.

"Oh, great, now what do I do?"

He growled, rolling his eyes.

"Just get on the bus, Snowflake, I'll get you home."

She flashed him a brilliant smile, momentarily free of any sarcasm. She climbed on board the bus and sat next to him. People stared. She could guess what was going through their minds. Did Warren Peace, the school's resident bad-boy, just offer help to one of the school's good-girls?

_I'm beginning to agree with Layla – people get way too stuck on labels._

As the bus took off, she got tired of being the center of attention. Giving the entire audience a frosty glare, she lifted a brow.

"Is there a problem here?"

Like a cadet review, the others jerked around in their seats to face the front. Warren snickered. She smirked back. Amusement glimmered in both sets of eyes as they looked at the rest of the passengers. He gave her a small salute.

"Is it a female thing or is it just you?"

"What?"

He shook his head.

"Never mind. I don't think I could do it justice."

She shrugged lightly. Glancing around one more time, she decided the bus had too many ears for the conversation she needed to have. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her book and settled back to read. He cleared his throat.

"Thought you needed to talk?"

"Not here; we're too likely to be overheard. It's waited this long, it'll wait a bit more."

She waited a beat.

"And stop glaring at me. One bus ride won't kill you."

The remainder of the ride passed in silence. The two of them studiously ignored each other while the rest of the group seemed to have fallen into some kind of shock. At some of the stops more than one student got off, and each time she saw them talking at a furious rate as the bus pulled away. She had a funny feeling the two of them would be the talk of the school tomorrow.

Finally, they reached his stop. Hopping off the bus, she followed him to the parking lot of an apartment building a couple of blocks over. She grinned as she saw which vehicle he approached.

"And here I would have sworn you had a bike."

"Hard to aim when you're trying to balance."

"Working on getting the record for road rage?"

He leaned back on the side of the jeep and crossed his arms over his chest. With a tilt of his head, he examined her. She lifted both eyebrows and then raised her chin. A silent battle of wills echoed in the parking lot. As the silence stretched out, her eyes began to sparkle with amusement and his lips twitched as though fighting a smile. If any one had been passing, they might have found the tableau interesting. The two of them made a mismatched pair if ever there was one. She leaned forward just a bit and gave a long, slow blink.

"Are you taking me home or not?"

He laughed.

"You're really not afraid of me, are you?"

"Don't you have enough people quaking in their shoes without me falling in line too?"

"Get in."

Dumping her bag in the back, she hopped into the passenger seat.

"I'm at Halcyone Haven – 1373 Talon Lane."

"No problem."

She grinned as he started the engine and took off. His driving matched his powers – fast and fiery. Talking would be difficult on this drive, so she decided to wait until they arrived at her place.

After a much shorter drive than Vedette had ever managed, they pulled up to her home. The community was an old, respectable one – most of these houses had been here for nearly thirty years. This meant they had large yards, tended landscaping, and privacy.

_Given the nature of my family – it's a good thing! If not for those high fences, I'd have been in more trouble – hard to hide the summer ice rink._

Stepping out of the jeep, she threw Warren a quick smile.

"Come on in."

He walked in, eyes roaming the quiet elegance of the home. After showing him into the kitchen, she ran up to her bedroom for a quick change into some jeans. Walking back into the room barefoot, she chuckled as she noticed him staring at the painting in the breakfast area. She joined him.

"That is an example of Jacan's work."

"Jacan?"

"My guardian, Vedette's brother. He…tends to drift a lot."

"What is this supposed to be?"

"You know, I don't think I ever actually found out. He won't explain it, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had been a little less than sober when he painted it. He may not remember."

Moving back into the kitchen, she headed for the fridge.

"Soda?"

"Sure."

Pulling out a couple of cans, she sat down at the table. He sat across from her, lazing back against the chair, balancing on the back two legs. His eyes fixed on her.

"Alright, you wanted to talk – so talk."

She took a long drink, using the time to focus her mind.

"Alright, let me set this up. Over the past few days, I've been in a couple of conversations that set off some alarm bells in my head. On Saturday, Mrs. Stronghold said something about babies being difficult to manage – especially powerful babies. Today at lunch, Maj mentioned something about her aunt being concerned over the number of kids her cousin was going to have."

As she paused, he took a deep breath and glanced upward before turning his gaze back to her.

"Look, Snowflake, what does all of this have to do with…"

She rapped the table with a closed fist.

"Think for a minute! How many babies were there on Friday?"

He frowned.

"Had to be a couple of hundred…"

She could see the light bulb go off in his head. His head fell back and he stared at the ceiling for a long moment. Huffing out a breath, he sat forward and looked at her. His voice was quiet.

"Zhou-ma."

She nodded.

"Same thing went through my head when it hit me. A couple hundred babies…what was Royal Pain going to do with all of them?"

AN – Well, what do you think? Just a quick translation: Tingzhi – Stop. Zhou-ma - Damn 


	4. Detente?

I own nothing recognizable…Disney does…etc…Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming! Also, I'm not the only (**or first**) one that this question occurred to – check out Jeune Chat for a different & great take on it. My apologies for this taking so long – I was suffering from a case of RL Interruptus. Dreadful thing! 

Détente?

The two of them stared at each other in silence. Two hundred (give or take) babies – powerful babies – all of them in need of caretakers. Who was going to feed and clothe them, let alone teach them? Melinda broke the silence first.

"Do you think Powers has thought of this already?"

He frowned.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. She's been busy getting the school back in shape and figuring out what to do with Gwen's three cohorts. Not to mention dealing with parents who aren't happy about what happened."

She winced.

"Ouch. I hadn't thought of that. Well, Gwen could be an absolute pain…no pun intended…but she wasn't stupid. She planned."

"Yeah, and its not like she was lacking in resources either."

"We need to talk to someone about it. She had to have help, and I'm not talking about Penny, Lash, or Speed. I wouldn't trust those three to take care of a field of cacti, let alone a bunch of babies. I kind of doubt she already had her school up and running."

He shook his head.

"No – it would have been hard to hide that. It's more likely that she'd recruited people. You could space a bunch out with 'guardians' and put the remainder in an 'orphanage.' It could work."

"I guess – who would she have recruited though?"

He shrugged, but before he could say anything, her phone rang. She hastened across the kitchen to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Melinda! It's Layla. Majenta and I were wondering if you could come over tonight."

"You're having a get-together on a weeknight?"

"Well, actually, we're at Will's with the others. We're trying to get some homework done, but the science is stumping us."

Melinda realized this made a perfect opportunity.

"I should be able to come by. Would it be all right if I brought someone with me?"

"Sure! We'll see you in a bit then."

She hung up the phone, shaking her head. Angling a look towards Warren, she smiled.

"That girl is perpetually cheerful."

His mouth quirked.

"Hippie?"

She turned towards him, hands on her hips, and gave him an exasperated, if amused, look.

"What is it with you and people's names?"

He just grinned.

"I take it you're going to her place?"

She smiled innocently. He frowned and leaned back like a wolf scenting danger.

"Actually, you're taking me to meet her and Maj."

"Okay…."

He stretched the word out, still seeking the catch.

"They need some help with homework."

"And…"

"They're at Will's."

She managed to keep her composure, but it was a near thing. He looked like someone had knocked the air out of him.

_Where is my camera?_

When his face closed up once more, her amusement fled. She sat back down, her face taking on a more solemn look.

"Warren, I know going over there makes you uncomfortable, and I understand…no, I know why. I'm not going to claim to understand. Sooner or later you are going to have to do this, and wouldn't it be better with the whole group of us there?"

He leaned towards her, glaring.

"I have hated the Commander for years. I doubt he's had any kinder thoughts about me. On Friday, everyone was too relieved to have the mess dealt with – he didn't have to deal with me. This…confrontation isn't a good idea. It'd be better if we just stayed out of each other's way."

She rolled her eyes.

"You can't hate someone you don't know. You hated what he did, you've disliked who he appears to be, but that's entirely different. It doesn't have to be a confrontation. It just needs to be a meeting. And it does need to be dealt with! I don't know if you noticed earlier, but they were determined to sit with you at lunch – even when they had to ignore the vibes you were giving off. You stepped up to help Layla – you didn't abandon them at homecoming – you even acknowledged their abilities. Call it a hunch, but I sincerely doubt they're going to just go away. Unless you decide to be a real jerk about it, you're going to be dealing with them from now on, and that includes Will. Thus, you are going to have to deal with his parents."

She sat down as she finished, flushing because she could not remember when she had stood up during her rant. He had stared at her as she had lectured, using her hands to express herself and count off her points. As the silence stretched out, she took a deep breath and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off the deep end there. If you really don't want to go, that's fine. I can make my own way over there. It just occurred to me that you might find it easier breaking this particular piece of ice with some backup. We'll all be there, and we trust you."

He took a breath in return and put his face in his hands, rubbing his temples. After a moment, he looked up.

"All right – we'll try it your way. Don't blame me if you get stuck finding your own way home."

She gave him a wide, brilliant smile.

"Just let me grab my shoes."

Another wild ride later, they pulled up to a two-story house in a quiet neighborhood. Warren turned off the engine, but made no move to get out of the jeep. Melinda took off her seatbelt and pulled her legs up. Wrapping her arms around them, she rested her chin on her knees. She waited, giving him space.

"I don't like this."

"I know."

"We could leave."

"Nobody's seen us yet."

Another long moment of silence passed. Finally, he sighed. He opened the door and swung his long frame out.

"Lets go."

She smiled and climbed out. They walked up to the door and rang the bell. Josie Stronghold opened it.

"Why, hello Melinda. They just told me you were coming over. Science, I suppose?"

"Good evening, Mrs. Stronghold. Layla said they needed some help. This is Warren."

Melinda stepped to the side, letting both of them get a good look. Mrs. Stronghold's smile never faltered. Without missing a beat, she held out her hand.

"Welcome, Warren. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shaking her hand, Warren managed a small smile.

"Please come in, both of you. The rest of the kids are in the living room."

As they walked into the room, a chorus of welcomes sounded. The others were scattered about with books and papers everywhere. Zach had given up the homework in favor of describing his new video game to an equally unmotivated Will. Maj sat on the floor at the table, drawing fantastic designs on her book covers. Only Layla and Ethan appeared to be attempting to finish their homework. Despite his discomfort at even being there, Warren did manage exchange a look of amused exasperation. Freshmen. Both of them sat down on the couch behind Maj.

"Hey, guys. Before we get into your apparently enthralling science work, we need to talk."

Everyone looked up at her, frowning as they caught her serious expression. Even Zach sobered – to the extent that was possible. Will locked eyes with her.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed and glanced at Warren. He nodded and lounged back against the cushions. Taking a deep breath and sitting straight up, she turned back to the others.

"Something suddenly occurred to me this afternoon…something we missed on Friday. Gwen had pacified around two hundred people. What was she going to do with that many babies?"

Silence descended on the room. Everyone traded startled looks. Layla opened her mouth as though to speak, but shut it slowly, shaking her head. Will held up a hand.

"Before this goes further, I think I'd better call in my folks."

Although Warren stiffed a bit, she could see him nodding.

"Good idea, flyboy."

She stifled a giggle at the expression on Will's face. He hadn't expected that response. Will shook his head and then called in his parents. After hearing the recap, the two of them exchanged quick, speaking looks. Removing their glasses, they laid aside their covers and focused on the group of teens. The Commander and Jetstream were in the house. He nodded at Melinda and Warren.

"You kids have come up with an extremely valid point. She would have needed more help than just Stitches and the other three students."

Warren snorted softly.

"She wouldn't have trusted those three with a Chia pet, let alone a bus full of babies."

"That effective, huh? Who would she have trusted then? Did she have anyone else from school?"

"Depends on who she played. Other than Penny, she didn't have friends – just groupies."

Jetstream spoke up.

"Sue Tenney had a truckload of family. Steve and I can start digging there."

The rest of the room remained quiet. No one wanted to interfere with the small truce that appeared to be building between Warren and the Strongholds. Melinda, Layla, and Maj traded looks and hid grins. Détente was a beautiful thing.


	5. Interlude

_I'm back! I am so sorry! It has been forever! However, I didn't have a computer for most of it, so I'm not entirely to blame. That's my story & I'm sticking to it! As per the usual, if you saw it in the movie, I don't own it. On with the show…_

Prepping for All Hallow's Eve

The next couple of weeks flew by. Classes went on like always, but now they had self-imposed homework to do as well. While Jetstream and the Commander poured over the Tenney family history, Ethan paired the group off and assigned each pair a list of different villains who had "disappeared" over the years. They were supposed to look for any clues to their possible fate, as well as the psychology of each villain. Were they the right "type" to take care of a baby or two? Melinda winced at the length of the list she was helping on.

_I knew super-villains were a problem, but this is ridiculous!_

Ethan was working by himself on some of the more esoteric names – this was his area of expertise. The rest of them had never been quite so enthralled with the topic. In an attempt to balance out the pairs, he had matched up Layla and Zach; Maj and Will; and Melinda and Warren. She grinned, remembering his logic.

_**FLASHBACK**_

Ethan pushed his glasses back and handed out three lists to his friends after pairing them off.

"It's not that I don't think you'll work on this, but, well, after watching how you do homework, I think these pairs will work out better. I mean, Will, you and Layla distract each other too much and you and Zach can't stay serious long enough. Zach, you'd pay too much attention to Maj."

He stopped and Melinda raised an eyebrow.

"And Warren and I?"

Glancing around, his eyes skittered a bit before settling on her. She bit back a grin – he looked just the _tiniest_ bit nervous.

"Well, I figured you two would work well together, or at least not . . . ah . . . set each other off. You've also got more experience at this kind of research, so I gave you the longest list. I'd considered other matches, but I didn't think they'd work as well. I mean, Zach couldn't be put with either of you for one."

"Dude!"

Melinda and Warren glanced at Zach's outraged face and shook their heads in unison. His constant motion would have driven one of them right past their limits. It would not have been a good idea – barbequed or frozen.

"Good move, Popsicle."

Ethan started, surprised at the comment. A sharp smile crossed Maj's face as Layla giggled and Will stifled a smile. Zach looked around, frowning.

"I don't see why it wouldn't have worked. I can do serious."

At that, even Warren grinned, fleeting though it was, and Will gave up any attempt at hiding his humor. Zach huffed and turned back to his homework. Silence reigned for maybe three minutes before Zach's short attention span snapped.

"Hey, did any of you see Boomer's new ride? It's, like, the same color as Medulla's mimicking potion – the glowing lime green one, you know?"

The group broke up laughing. No one bothered arguing any further with Ethan's pairs.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

They had been driving themselves ragged trying to search through old records and news articles. Some of the list could be written off pretty quickly, but most of it required a lot of work. Heaven help them if some of these people were really involved: Hellstorm – this guy made Baron Battle look like a neighborhood bully; Sandman – he could put even the strongest telepath to sleep; Rampage – her battle rage gave the Commander pause. All of this really had to be done though. Who knew what collection of villains had been brought together by Royal Pain? Now that their first plan had been trashed, what might they be planning next?

Melinda looked across the table at her "study partner." One definite good had come out of the past two weeks – their friendship with Will's group had solidified. Melinda found herself playing "big sister" to the entire group of freshmen. As an only child, and a bit of a loner, she enjoyed her new role, even though she was only one year older. Warren was slower to accept the group, but he would often be the mediator when a dispute broke out. Granted, he tended to be a sarcastic, even caustic mediator, sometimes leaving the impression he thought they were all mental, but at least he was trying.

Right now though his usual scowl was deeper than ever. The long hours were taking their toll, and he had to work a real job as well. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she made a decision. Reaching over, she closed his book at the same time she pushed hers aside.

"That's it. I'm making an executive decision and calling a temporary halt to this insanity."

He leaned back in his chair, tilting it to stretch out even further. Looking at her through partially closed eyes, he smirked.

"What's the matter, Snowflake? A meltdown imminent?"

Giving only a half-hearted glare, she leaned forward.

"Every single one of us is exhausted – you more than the rest of us since you have a real job. However, all of us are over-stressed. If we don't get a breather, something…someone…is going to break, or get sloppy. Either way, we'll lose time, not to mention what it'll do to our schoolwork. We are taking some time off. Period; end of subject; I'm done; good-bye."

"So, what would you suggest?"

"Halloween is coming up, so that'll be a good excuse. The school is doing a party to make up for Homecoming being such a disaster. We've got a week to get ready."

"Uh, no, I'm not doing the tux again."

She rolled her eyes.

"Halloween, Hothead – you'd only wear a tux if you were going as James Bond. You need a costume."

Before he could say anything else, she grabbed her things and stood up. He stared up at her for a full minute before she sighed. This one time she would resort to pleading.

"Come on Warren! Even you've got to admit we need a rest. Zach is dragging around; Layla snapped at Mr. Boy just yesterday; and Ethan received an 89 in Medulla's class. It's just a simple Halloween party – tell you what, you don't even have to wear a costume. Just help me get the others to chill for a while?"

Rubbing his hands over his face, he started muttering under his breath.

"Just a simple party she says. Right, like the last one?"

"I'm sorry?"

He shook his head.

"Never mind. All right, Snowflake, let's go."

He stood up gesturing her ahead of him. From the look on his face, he would have felt better facing a death threat. She could deal with that later. Right now, the important thing was getting away from the research for a little while and be somewhat normal.

A couple of phone calls later and everyone congregated at the Stronghold residence. Melinda could not quite figure out how Will's house had become their unofficial headquarters, but it had. All of their big discussions, not to mention study sessions, took place under this roof. Sometimes Will's parents joined in, but mostly they respected the group's autonomy. Today, Mrs. Stronghold just smiled as everyone came dragging in. As soon as they had all gathered in the den, Will turned to Melinda.

"What's up? Did you and Warren find something?"

She shook her head as Warren snorted.

"Nope. Snowflake decided to stage a one-woman revolt. I'm along for the moral support."

Drawing herself up, she stared him down with her most impressive glare. After holding the pose for ten seconds or so, she stuck her tongue out at him and turned to the others.

"I chose to make a life-saving decision and call for a break."

Maj lifted an eyebrow.

"Life-saving?"

"Yes, on account that one of us was ready to snap and go postal - probably on the next idiot at school that looked at us wrong."

Most of the group started nodding. Even Ethan gave a small smile. Zach, who had dropped full out on the ground when they had first come in, looked up at her.

"What'd you come up with?"

She gave them all a full smile.

"The Halloween dance is in a week. We are going to take the time to find costumes, and we are going to the party."

As everyone thought about it, she could almost see their minds trying to percolate. Nobody was firing on all cylinders – more proof that a rest was in order. Still, she could see some disagreement, even a little guilt creeping into their expressions. After all, could they really afford to take the time?

Warren cleared his throat.

"I hate to agree with the whole party idea, but Snowflake's right. We've got to take a break. Right now, we wouldn't be able to see a villain's plan if they emailed us the blueprints and the rough draft of the evil monologue. We're starting to get sloppy, and it'll show up at school in another couple of days. Either we take a short breather now, or we get a longer one when we lose it to nervous exhaustion. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I vote for the dance."

The others nodded. Their expressions ranged from reluctant agreement to desperate relief. Layla spoke up.

"So, we take a week to relax, go to the party and start fresh that next Monday?"

Everyone agreed to that, so they started planning for the dance. While the guys were going to find their own costumes, the girls agreed to get together the following morning for a girls' day.

_Please review and let me know what you think! Again, I am so sorry about the length of time. Also, I need some help in coming up with some names – specifically do you have any ideas for the kids' "superhero" names? If you have some good ones, include them in your review and make sure you tell me why that name would be perfect. If I use your name, I'll include you as a character in some future chapter._


	6. Just a Dance

_Another chapter!! Again – if you saw it in the movie, it's not mine. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad people seem to be enjoying this story. I'm sorry that I'm not replying individually, but I REALLY do read them & I love getting them. I hope you like their Halloween choices…_

Chapter 6

Just a Dance

Melinda double-checked her makeup before climbing out of the car. She had enjoyed meeting up with the girls over the weekend and coming up with costume ideas. They had left the guys on their own and had a girls-only party. A stranger three-some would be hard to create. It had been an interesting time. The peacenik vegetarian Layla, the cynical Goth-girl Majenta, and her – the sarcastic, upper class loner – who would have thought they would become friends? She gave a tiny snort.

_Hollywood maybe…reminds me of Vedette's favorite movie…what was it…right, The Breakfast Club. Even the guys fit. I can't wait to see what they came up with._

She laughed as she knocked on Will's door. Josie Stronghold opened the door and smiled at her guest.

"Melinda! You were the last one we were waiting for - come in, come in. Don't you look wonderful!"

As she entered, Melinda could hear the laughter ringing in the living room. Completely in character, she swept into the room. As she took in the colorful collection of characters, she smiled in sincere appreciation. Everyone had gone all out, even Warren.

Will looked quite fierce as the Wolfman, complete with torn jeans and flannel shirt. He must have gotten help to do the hair and makeup though – it looked realistic. Layla's hair crowned a regal figure in green and gold. Her sweet face and kind eyes gave the right touch of naivety to a young Guinevere.

Zach's height and jerky movements gave an authentic feel to Frankenstein's monster. Hopefully the color would wash off his hair and skin though – his dad would freak. With her hair flowing down her back, Majenta's purple streaks matched her black and purple gown. Her shadowed eyes implied the secrets held by the powerful Morgan le Fey.

Ethan wore the busiest costume as it was divided down the center. On one side, he looked every inch the Victorian gentleman, complete with perfectly done hair and suit. However, the other side had wild hair and torn clothes. He may have had assistance as well since his face showed the same dichotomy – a perfect reflection of the dual natures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Finally, slightly to one side, stood a figure in a tuxedo, complete with cape and walking stick. Dark eyes stared at her from a face partially obscured by the white half-mask of the Phantom of the Opera. She gazed back in astonishment and the façade cracked for a moment as Warren stepped out of character long enough to wink in amusement at her.

Steve and Josie Stronghold bustled around the room, armed with cameras to record this moment.

Will smiled at her.

"So, Melinda, who are you? You almost look like a ghost, but that's not quite it."

Warren snorted.

"Flyboy, you have got to read more."

He turned back to her to take in the full costume. From her loose, half-wild hair to her flowing gown, everything about her proclaimed the power in the feminine mystique. Her jewelry gleamed with iridescent mother-of-pearl and the sword she carried glistened with a light icy glaze. Blue eyes shimmered with amusement as everyone stared at her.

Warren nodded.

"Got it – Nimue."

She pouted for a moment before laughing.

"What gave it away?"

"Well, considering we already have Guinevere and Morgan, there was only one powerful woman left in Arthur's story – the Lady of the Lake, guardian of Excalibur. Figured the other two wouldn't have gone in together and left you out. The jewelry and sword sealed it."

Everyone laughed. Will's mom smiled and gestured for the whole group to get together. Once lined up, she snapped a couple of pictures. Even as she finished, a horn sounded outside.

"I'll make sure all of you get copies."

With a round of thanks, they hustled outside to find Ron Wilson waiting with the bus. Laughter and teasing filled the vehicle as it made the quick trip to Sky High. After arranging to meet back with Ron at ten, they moved as a group towards the gym. Instead of the glitter and bright lights of Homecoming, there were shadowy figures projected on the walls and cobwebs strung everywhere. Sound effects, including howls and screams, were interspaced with dancing music as students mingled, danced, and partied. The teachers wandered around the room, trying to keep an eye on everyone. After a few minutes looking around, Layla pulled Will onto the dance floor while Ethan struck up a conversation with Mr. Boy. Majenta and Zach stood off to the side, talking in their own strange fashion. Warren glanced down at her.

"Well, Snowflake, shall we scare the common folk?"

She lifted one eyebrow with a saucy grin.

"Do you mean to tell me, you know how to dance?"

"Please, who do think my mother was? Harmony Peace may have been the Mediator on the job, but she loved to dance. Guess who got to learn?"

"Well, by all means, lets give them whiplash."

Sure enough, people's heads turned as they entered the dance. Will and Layla grinned and shrugged before spinning off on their own. As they danced, Melinda and Warren traded comments and barbs back and forth. They each held their own, enjoying the rare opportunity to cut loose with their wits. Everything was fair game – from other people's costumes to their own tastes in books. All's fair, after all.

"Melinda! Warren!"

A call from Majenta pulled their attention around to the tables. They had gotten so involved with their game that they had ignored the passage of time. Dinner was about to be served and everyone was grabbing a table. Gracefully sliding through the crowd, the two of them joined their friends at a side table. Sitting half-hidden in shadows, the group continued its odd sort of melding.

Majenta frowned.

"Did you see Coach Boomer frowning at me? What's his issue?"

Layla smiled.

"He probably didn't recognize you. You really do look different with your hair down like that."

Melinda nodded.

"Besides, if he did recognize you, its just because our entire group upsets his world-view. Heroes are supposed to save the world while sidekicks stand off to one side and cheer."

Will agreed.

"When it took all of us to stop Royal Pain at Homecoming, we threw him off stride. First, we're a bunch of kids who made it while the adults got pacified. Second, half of us are "hero" class and the other half are "sidekick" class – that REALLY ticks him off. He's never paid much attention to the sidekicks. He wrote them off, just like everybody else."

Zach bounced.

"Yeah, dude, we totally scored on Royal Pain and her goons."

Ethan shrugged.

"He might not even be frowning at you. He's only here for the food – he doesn't want to be keeping an eye on all of us."

Warren smirked.

"Its Boomer – how can you tell?"

Everyone laughed. As dinner went along, the conversation ebbed and flowed between various parties. One moment Layla and Majenta would be discussing the public's view of the female superhero versus the male, and then Layla would turn around and argue with Ethan over the use of plants in super-potions. Warren and Melinda debated various authors and their worldviews while Zach and Will discussed music. As dinner wound down, people started shifting towards the dance floor once more, but their little group decided to wait until after dessert.

Majenta actually smiled as the waiters served the final course. When everyone looked at her, she shrugged.

"Chocolate and raspberry are my favorites. Any time they get combined is a good thing."

Once everyone was served, Layla lifted her glass of punch.

"We need a toast."

The rest of the table shook their heads, but held back any laughter. It was easier not to argue. As they all looked around, Warren finally glared at Will.

"You're the one running this bunch, Flyboy."

Melinda gave a quick nod.

"Plus she's your girlfriend."

Will sighed and wilted just a bit before sitting up and lifting his glass.

"A toast then – to us, to…to the Outsiders."

Warren and Melinda exchanged glances, but the others just grinned. Eventually, everyone raised their glasses, some shrugging, some smiling, even giggling.

"The Outsiders."

Screams rang out across the gym.

Jolting to their feet, everyone looked around to see a sinister figure holding some kind of weapon. As it fired on the crowd, people simply fell, stunned. People scattered and ran while the teachers fought the mob to get to the invader.

Majenta rolled her eyes.

"Not again."

Warren lifted an eyebrow and then turned to Melinda.

"Just a dance?"


	7. Team Dynamics

_Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying my little adventure. I'm sorry I have not responded to any of the reviews as yet, but between work, health, and church, I get the reviews at odd times. Please know that I've appreciated each and every one, and I hope I keep living up to expectations – AND getting better as I go. Remember, if it was in the film – it is not mine…I am not Disney…_

Chapter 7

Team Dynamics

Melinda glared at him, throwing her hands up in the air.

"So sue me."

The group of friends quickly barricaded themselves behind a couple of overturned tables and watched for a few moments as the mob of students ran about in the room. The limited number of exits had everyone in a panic, and the gunman started focusing on the teachers. Warren nodded.

"He's trying to go after the biggest threats first. Who is this guy?"

Everyone turned to Ethan, who pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"I think its Gatillero. He can use any kind of gun – even if he has never seen it before. He disappeared fifteen years ago – everyone thought he had finally lost a shoot out. Usually, he sticks with robbing banks and stores. This isn't his type of action."

Maj shook her head.

"You mean, it wasn't – he was on mine and Will's list. Maybe he's changed his ways due to someone or something getting to him…"

Zach nodded.

"Yeah, maybe this dude is, I don't know, testing the waters or something?"

Layla frowned, narrowing her eyes.

"Testing for what though? It hasn't been that long since Homecoming…what could they be thinking?"

The four of them started talking while Melinda and Warren stared for a moment. Simultaneously, they shook their heads and moved to keep watch. This really was not the time. However, before either of them could say something sarcastic, Will broke in.

"Guys, enough."

Everyone turned to him as he tore a cover off a nearby ventilation shaft. Melinda could hear Maj muttering.

"Again with the vents…"

Turning back to the group, Will started issuing orders.

"Maj, Ethan, and Zach – you three need to get out of here. Maj, you're the calmest, so you get out and go call for help. Call my folks and the NBS – they're more likely to listen to you. Ethan and Zach – you two go help funnel all of these people out of the school. Get them to the buses so Ron and the others can get them out of here. Move."

Without arguing, the three of them headed out while Will joined Warren, Melinda, and Layla at the barricade. The number of people in the gym was dwindling as people were either stunned or managed to get out. However, the teachers were all down, so Gatillero started focusing on the older or larger students. Will's eyes darted around the room while the others kept an eye on the villain. Warren inclined his head to the side.

"So, flyboy, what are we doing?"

A corner of Will's mouth curled up in a slight grin.

"I just noticed – all of the creepy vines and trees they used? They are actual plants. Layla, when I give the signal, use the vines to grab his weaponry, okay? You have to be quick – I don't want him getting them back or hanging on to them."

"Done."

"Melinda, Warren – I'm going to move over to the other corner. When Layla grabs his stuff, you two attack with all your might. I'll come in at the same time from the other side and above. Please try not to fry or freeze me. It might not do any damage, but it still hurts like hell."

They nodded and moved back into position as Will snuck around. Melinda gave a tiny sniff and the other two looked at her. She smiled.

"I like Will and everything, but really, who would have thought that he could actually know **how **to sneak around? Doesn't that seem wrong for him some how?"

They both smirked, the expression looking a little strange on Layla's face.

_I think we're a bad influence on her._

The three of them watched as the gunman continued taking out students. He lingered over each shot, playing with the students as they continued to bunch at the exits. Warren began muttering softly.

"What the hell is wrong with them? Get behind something. Duck. Fight back. Some of them can even fly. What are they thinking?

Before Melinda could say anything, Layla straightened.

"There's Will – he's ready."

Melinda had not seen any kind of a sign, but she was willing to go along with her, trusting in Layla's long-time friendship with the guy.

"All right then, girl, disarm the bad guy."

"Go to work, Hippie."

The energy level around Layla peaked, and Melinda could feel it – like electricity across her skin. The vines and plants that had been placed around the room to give a haunted, eerie feeling suddenly came alive. Gatillero's face contorted comically as the flora snatched his weapons away. Even as he snarled and moved to get them back, Warren and Melinda darted around the barricade to unleash everything they had.

The combined attack of fire and ice forced him back, but the man refused to go down. As their first assault died away, it became obvious he was wearing some kind of armor – and still had weapons. He brought his guns up to bear, and they dove behind columns for some cover. Layla peered around the table barricade at Melinda.

"Did we know he wore armor?"

Melinda shook her head, but gave a small smile.

"He was on Maj's list, not mine."

She looked over at Warren.

"Why do all of the bad guys wear armor?"

He slanted an exasperated glance at her, but she smirked at him.

"Aren't we supposed to bemoan the obvious advantage the bad guy has? I'm pretty sure I read that in the Superhero handbook."

Layla sniffed.

"It should be Superperson handbook, and . . . there's really a handbook?"

Warren snorted.

"They've got a handbook for everything. I'll wager they decide to throw it out in our case."

A sudden thudding noise drew their attention back to the main floor just in time to see the gunman go flying across the room and into a wall. Hitting it with a distinct crunch, he slid to the floor.

_Apparently too focused on us to watch for Will. I love it when a plan comes together._

Will motioned for them to approach the man from different directions. Spreading out, they advanced across the floor with caution in every step. That much they had learned from Royal Pain – down did not mean out.

However, Gatillero was not getting up for a while. The guys made sure to keep an eye on him while Layla darted out into the hallway to check on the others. Melinda began to check on the stunned party-goers. Some of them were beginning to show signs of life. She sighed in relief – the damage could have been much worse. What kind of attack was this anyway?

_I do NOT believe I'm thinking this, but maybe Zach was right? Maybe this was some kind of test. Could Queen Gwen and her lackeys have been their only inside information? Was that why this attack by a long-vanished villain? _

Layla ran back in with Maj, Ethan, and Zach. They had retrieved a pair of dampers from Principal Powers' office to help contain Gatillero. Melinda wandered back over to them as Will looked around. He frowned, taking in the slowly stirring figures and the ones peering in the doorways. With a snort, he turned to his group.

"So, the important question is – did we pass or fail?"

Melinda and Ethan nodded, with Warren only a moment behind. Ethan explained to the others.

"This had to have been a test, just like Zach suggested. There is no other viable option to explain the pure randomness of this attack. There was no gain, permanent or temporary, unless they were merely seeking to determine the progress or lack thereof…"

"Dude, what?"

Warren sighed.

"The attack was made to see if the school had made any changes to security."

"Why didn't he just say that?"

Maj elbowed him in the side.

"He did – he just used a lot more words."

Zach nodded.

"Yeah, he can talk."

Everyone stared at him for a moment. Melinda bit her lip, but as she saw Layla and Maj both trying to hide their amusement, she just started giggling. That set the other two girls off. As they continued, slowing down only to break up once more when they caught each other's eye, Ethan and Zach just traded confused glances. Warren smirked and shrugged in Will's direction. Will grinned and shook his head.

"Don't get me started."

Finally, the girls managed to calm down and contain their laughter. The people around them began to climb shakily to their feet, and look around. Principal Powers and Boomer spotted the group with the downed villain and started over. Maj rolled her eyes.

"Oh, joy."

Before the teachers had even reached them, however, another voice called through the gym.

"Will!"

Heads turned to see The Commander and Jetstream striding into the room. They came straight to the group and started looking them over. Melinda could not blame them for checking on Will first, but she found it impressive that their concern spread over all seven of them, including Warren. Once they had ascertained that not only were all seven kids really all right, but that they had also been responsible for taking down the bad guy, she could see the relief in both of them spreading across their faces. It felt strange – she knew Vedette cared for her, but no one had been so CONCERNED for her in a long time. She smiled at Jetstream as the woman touched her hair and looked at her in concern.

"Melinda, are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine. A little annoyed about this evening, but fine."

Jetstream raised an eyebrow and her face grew cold as she turned to the approaching teachers. That single look stopped them in their tracks. The Commander came up beside his wife and folded his arms over his chest. As Principal Powers started to say something, his glare silenced her. Jetstream planted her fists on her hips and stared at them, every inch a hero and a mother.

"Yes, about this evening…"

_Uh, oh, Mama's not happy…._

~*~

_Author's note – Hello there! I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated EVERY review, as well as all of the folks who have added me to their favorites, alerts, and C2's. It is wonderful to get the love! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know the fight wasn't long or too major, but in canon Will says the rest of the year was quiet compared to Homecoming. I want to stay close to that without it being completely dead. That doesn't mean it will be TOO easy, just expect the exciting stuff to happen a little further down the road. Anyway, PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I'm looking forward to Jetstream's . . . ah, __talk__ with the powers that be of Sky High. She is not a happy camper, and as they say, if Mama's not happy, NOBODY'S happy! See you next time!_


	8. Things Hit the Fan

_Is it too much to beg for reviews? I'm glad people seem to be enjoying my little adventure. Please know that I appreciate each and every review, and I hope I keep living up to expectations – AND getting better as I go. Remember, if it was in the film – it is not mine…I am not Disney…though I could probably be a character…_

_Where we ended last chapter…_

_Jetstream raised an eyebrow and her face grew cold as she turned to the approaching teachers. That single look stopped them in their tracks. The Commander came up beside his wife and folded his arms over his chest. As Principal Powers started to say something, his glare silenced her. Jetstream planted her fists on her hips and stared at them, every inch a hero and a mother._

"_Yes, about this evening…"_

_Uh, oh, Mama's not happy…._

Chapter 8

Things Hit the Fan

"Would someone **please** explain to me how this happens **twice** in as many months? I would like to hear the **official** explanation for **this** debacle. Did it even occur to you that maybe, just **maybe**, to add some kind of security to this dance? One surprise attack I can understand, but **two**? Did **anybody** even bother to think there might be a problem?"

Principal Powers square off her shoulders, tilted up her nose, and gave Jetstream a pointed stare.

"Honestly, Josie, how was anyone to guess that another attack would take place at Sky High? Royal Pain was able to attack due to her place in the school. This gunman had no connection to us. No one could possibly have considered another attack. I understand you are disturbed…"

Melinda could hear Maj muttering to Zach and Ethan.

"Probably not the best way to say that."

She quietly choked as Jetstream rose slightly off the floor in indignation.

"Disturbed? **Disturbed?** Tell me something, Diana Powers, exactly how long **have** you been out of the field? **You are the principal **- you are responsible for every student here! It **should** have occurred to you to plan for a possible attack! You should be prepared for anything **possible**, whether or not it was **probable**. That is beside the point. What **have** you been doing since homecoming? Playing diplomat? Trying to soothe ruffled parental feathers? Wait until word of **this** gets out! Again, our children are proven to be unsafe in **your** care."

Boomer stepped forward and pointed his finger at her.

"Get off it, Stronghold. Sky High is the safest place any of these kids could be. They'd be in more danger on the ground."

The Commander leaned forward.

"Point that elsewhere."

Boomer turned his glare on Will's dad and opened his mouth. Before he could do more than inhale, Will's mom started talking again.

"Where were **you** when all of this happened, Boomer? What were **you** doing when this . . . person waltzed in like he owned the place? Propping up the buffet table, perchance? Do you mean to tell me you were not even **trying** to watch the doors?"

His eyes narrowed, but Melinda tuned him out as she noticed a new figure coming across the gym. The woman had long, dark brown hair framing a delicate, pale face. Her petite, wispy frame almost seemed to float across the floor. She wore jeans and sandals, with a lavender peasant top. A sharp sense of recognition hit Melinda, but she knew she had never met this woman before. When she drew closer, Melinda's blue eyes widened at the soothing energy flowing from a dreamy violet gaze. Melinda's jaw dropped.

_This has to be…_

Before she finished the thought, the woman reached the group.

"Warren."

Warren's head shot around and he focused on the smaller figure coming up to him. Confusion flickered across his face before he settled back into a blank inscrutability.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

She smiled and glanced at the six people surrounding her son. Gracing all of them with a benevolent look, she threw Melinda the tiniest of winks before turning to the rest of the adults. She nodded to the Strongholds before looking at the teachers with the detached implacability of the Mediator. Warren touched her shoulder.

"Mom?"

"Give me a moment, love. Principal Powers, I am not known for taking sides in these kinds of arguments, but I tell you now that I stand behind everything Josie has just been saying."

Jetstream winced, but the Mediator shook her head.

"Yes, I could both hear and feel you as I arrived, but that is quite all right. You neither said nor did anything wrong. As both a hero and a mother, you **should** be outraged. Our children should be safe in this school, Principal Powers, _particularly_ from outsiders."

Principal Powers broke in, exasperation clear in every line of her face. She threw up her hands in disbelief.

"Who could **possibly **have guessed there was some kind of outside danger to the **school**?"

A calm voice answered her.

"We did."

The adults all turned to look at Will.

Melinda knew what they were seeing – a small rag-tag group of students who had no business being friends. Five hero-class adults looked at the mixed bag, some with pride and others with condescending exasperation. She grew annoyed with the teachers' disdainful attitudes.

_What do they know? They see the slightly gawky good-boy… the peacenik hippy…the sullen Goth-girl…the lanky clown…the nerdy geek…the brooding bad-boy…the preppy princess. They don't know us. They don't understand that Will's image hides a potentially stronger leader than his dad has ever been. They can't see under Layla's peacefulness to the fierce protective instincts she holds for those she loves. They gloss right over Maj's secret compassion. None of the teachers bother to see the optimism that Zach gives everyone around him. In the same way, they completely ignore Ethan's enthusiasm that makes people try just a little bit harder. They had written off Warren from the start, and so they still ignore his carefully protected noble streak._

Principal Powers eyed Will and spoke up, interrupting Melinda's internal rant.

"What do you mean, **you** did?"

Will raised his chin and stared back at her. He gestured at his friends.

"We knew there had to be more going on than just Gwen and her friends. It was too…"

Boomer broke in.

"You teenage brats think you know everything! How could you…"

A large hand grabbed the front of Boomer's suit and dragged him around to face one very unhappy Commander.

"First, **never** speak to my son or his friends that way again. Second, not **only** did they realize that Royal Pain wasn't working alone, but they brought it to mine and Jetstream's attention. We've been working on it quietly since the week after homecoming. These kids have been doing the same thing in their spare time. This is the **first** week they've taken any free time, all to get ready for this dance. They wanted to relax and enjoy themselves, and if you lot had been doing your work properly, they would have."

The two men stood eyeball to eyeball, glaring and daring the other to try something. Boomer was the first to break, backing away while muttering under his breath. Principal Powers pushed him behind her to give everyone more breathing space before turning to Will's dad.

"What exactly did they bring you?"

Jetstream and the Mediator shook their heads at the same time. Jetstream gestured for Warren's mom to go first. She smiled at her before turning back to the principal.

"Not tonight. These kids have done their fair share for the evening, so they are going home to relax. Tomorrow afternoon is soon enough to go into this further."

Will's mom stepped up to the plate next as Melinda, Maj, and Layla hid smiles behind their hands. The teachers were completely floored that anyone would blame them for this whole fiasco.

"I don't care what you have to do, or what you have to reschedule, but you clear some of your calendar tomorrow. We **will** have a meeting to discuss all of this, and you teachers **will **be respectful when talking to these kids. They've seen what you did **not**, and I'm beginning to get cranky about the whole thing."

Powers started sputtering.

"You can't just decide to drop everything right here and then leave! We still have to deal with this person, and…"

Jetstream's eyes flashed as she swung back around to face the teachers. Her voice, however, dropped into a cold anger, even more frightening than her fiery fury had been.

"Do not attempt to lecture **me**. I cannot begin to tell you how…**unhappy** I am with this **entire** situation. When the children brought their thoughts to me, it never crossed my mind that you were not **somehow** trying to improve security at this school. Steve and I worked on this from our angle, secure in the knowledge that you and Boomer were here to keep our son and his friends safe. If it had occurred to me that you would make **no** changes, that you would make **no **plans for possible problems now that a weakness had been found, I can **guarantee** you would have seen me sooner. While we have been pursuing lines of investigation in the world, and the kids have been studying and searching for potential assailants, what have **you** been doing? Twiddling your thumbs as far as I can tell."

When the principal started to speak, Jetstream threw up her hand.

"Not tonight. You deal with the authorities and that idiot down there. We are taking the kids home. Good night."

As one, the three parents began ushering the seven students out of the gym. Melinda just smiled as the other kids melted out of their way.

_No one's going to mess with Jetstream tonight!_

Plans were quickly made for all of them, Warren included, to stay overnight at the Strongholds. His mother had to return to the careful negotiations she was overseeing to prevent bloodshed is some tiny corner of Europe. She would arrange to meet them at the school the following afternoon.

As they boarded the bus for Ron to fly them home, with Jetstream and the Commander just out the starboard side, Melinda turned to Will and gave him a big smile.

"Will – I **really** like your mom."

_Author's note – another chapter! In under a week! Aren't you proud of me? I know this didn't have a lot of the group, but I wanted to get this whole parental thing in there. Not all of the parents are dead, naïve, or neglectful. As I finishing this up, I am only 33 hits short of 3000 hits on this story! I am so excited! Please, please, more reviews – let me know what you like! Now, if you have constructive criticism, please leave with your review. Flames? See, take this little handheld device, go over to that private waiting room and pull the number out of the device to set it off a bell. It looks like a grenade? Yes, I know – the research and development people have been watching too much Rambo again. Shoo now, have fun with the grenade…ah, I mean, handheld flame device… ___


	9. Before the Meeting

_Where we ended last chapter…_

_As they boarded the bus for Ron to fly them home, with Jetstream and the Commander just out the starboard side, Melinda turned to Will and gave him a big smile._

"_Will – I __**really**__ like your mom."_

Chapter 9

Before the meeting

"Melinda…Melinda…wake-up."

The bright voice pierced the comforting darkness causing her to rouse. Pulling the covers down slightly, a single blue eye cracked open and peered into a light filled room. Glancing around, she caught sight of her red-headed friend smiling down at her. Dressed in flowered print jeans and an emerald top, Layla sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sleepy head! Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Hmph."

With that disgruntled sound, she looked around again before sitting up. With a long yawn, she stretched and groaned.

"What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock."

"In the morning? Layla."

A snort drew their attention to the door. Clad in black jeans and a violet top, Majenta leaned against the jamb smirking. Moving into the room, she closed the door and hopped on to the end of the bed. Although the smirk never slipped, Melinda could see the concern in her deep eyes. Even Layla seemed anxious in her cheer.

"Are you planning to sleep until the meeting?"

_Ah, there's the hot button._

"The meeting doesn't start until eleven. Why are we awake?"

Maj grinned.

"How many alarm clocks do you go through?"

"In a month or in a year?"

Layla laughed.

"You can't be serious."

Melinda slanted her a sharp blue gaze.

"Never underestimate my love of sleep and dislike of morning."

Green eyes sparked in amusement and she stepped back to give a deep, sweeping bow.

"My Lady Solumnia!"

As she stood back up a small pillow caught her in the face. She stepped back, snatching up the projectile to stare at Melinda. Amused blue eyes stared back and one white-blond eyebrow rose in challenge. Green eyes narrowed and Layla charged forward swinging.

For several minutes, chaos reigned in the bedroom as the three girls dodged and swung. The battle raged, with giggles and laughter echoing. Finally, one of the small down pillows was stressed too far and it burst. All three froze as the feathers flew and began to drift down.

At that moment, the door opened.

_Of course, NOW someone comes to check on the noise._

Josie Stronghold walked in and stopped short in surprise. Her eyes flickered and darted from the feathers to the girls. Majenta's violet eyes were open wide in surprise even as she struggled to keep her face stoic. On the other hand, Layla's face showed her open concern with both hands covering her lips. Mrs. Stronghold's mouth twitched.

Melinda bit her lip as the amused eyes met her twinkling ones. They stared at each other for a long moment as the other two looked on with anxiety and the feathers settled in an abstract pattern on the floor.

_I would pay good money for a picture of this._

Shaking her head, Mrs. Stronghold threw her hands out and raised her eyes to the ceiling.

"And me without my camera!"

Melinda burst out laughing, the clear tone bringing smiles to everyone's faces. Will's mother gave a large warm smile.

"All right girls, finish getting ready. Breakfast will be on the table soon."

She left the room, closing the door behind her. Still laughing, Melinda grabbed her stuff and headed for the bathroom.

After the girls finished their morning routines, they headed downstairs to join everyone else. The male half of the group were either leaning or sitting on the countertops in the kitchen. Will, in his usual colors, stood near the refrigerator talking quietly to Warren. The dark-haired pyro perched on the countertop dressed, as usual, in black with a deep red shirt showing under his jacket. Ethan and Zach assisted in lighting up the kitchen with their bright orange jacket (Ethan) and yellow top (Zach). They were uncharacteristically silent, eyes showing the same nerves that had been reflected in the girls' earlier. Melinda's face grew serious as she skirted past Warren and they exchanged glances. Giving an almost imperceptible nod, she sank into a chair and propped her chin on one fist.

"You lot were up early?"

Warren snorted.

"Will's dad came knocking. Kind of hard to ignore."

Everyone else turned to him in consternation. They had not expected the exasperation showing in his voice. On the other hand, she just tilted her head and put on an amused expression.

"Oh, poor babies, being woken up by the stern, but good-hearted father-type. I'll do you one better. **I** was woken by the cheerful voice and exuberant personality of . . . a morning person."

She gave a mock shudder, leaning back in her chair. He slanted a dark eyebrow at her.

"Icing the flower child makes that much noise?"

She smirked, crinkling her nose, and threw a napkin at him.

"No, that would be the pillow fight. After all, no sleepover is complete without one."

They all stared at the three girls as Mrs. Stronghold gave them their breakfast. Ignoring the looks, they began to eat. After a few moments of silence, Melinda looked at the guys and raised her own eyebrow at them.

"What's the matter? Did you forget to have yours?"

A handful of snickers echoed in the room, only to turn to laughter as the two of them traded back and forth.

"Somehow I don't think ours would have been as fun."

"So you admit pillow fights are fun?"

"They are fun to watch."

"You could have watched those three."

"Are you trying to give me nightmares?"

"Oh, please, who else are you going to watch?"

"I could always watch you three."

"I beg your pardon? Our pillow fights are not spectator sports."

"I don't mind participating."

"Darling, didn't you know? No boys allowed."

That last line, drawled out in a put-on Southern accent brought a fresh round of laughter to the kitchen. A quick satisfied smile graced her lips while he gave her a hidden wink. The undercurrent of anxiety was gone.

As the humor died down, Will's parents stood up. His dad turned to them.

"We are gathering with some of your parents before the meeting to make sure everyone knows what is going on. Ron Wilson will come by around 10:30 to pick you up."

The kitchen remained silent for a few minutes after they left until Will cleared his throat.

"I think we need to figure out how we want to handle the meeting."

Murmurs of agreement answered him even as the others shifted to focus their attention. Melinda smiled to herself in quiet approval as he managed to control his embarrassment before speaking once more.

"Well, we've been handling all of this as a team so far, and I want to do the same at the meeting. If we're going to make them understand, we have to handle this right."

She nodded.

"I agree. How we handle this is going to affect how they see it. They really don't want to take us seriously."

Warren shifted as the others grumbled.

"Think about it. This twice now that their school has been targeted. And both times, who have their saviors been? Not one of the teachers, or seniors, or even outside heroes . . . instead, they've been rescued by those they'd written off. To them, Homecoming was a fluke."

Will agreed.

"Exactly – look at us. Look at us for just one minute like they do. Who do they see? The Goth shifter."

Maj's lips twisted.

"The nerdy guy who melts."

Ethan snorted.

"The glowy loud mouth."

Zach frowned.

"The pacifist plant-lover."

Layla shrugged.

"The icy poor-little rich girl."

Melinda yawned.

"The pyro villain-in-disguise."

Warren smirked.

"And the wanna-be hero living off his family name."

As Will finished the list, everyone remained silent. None of them were really popular, and all of them had been targeted in the halls at some point or another.

"Together we make a really good team. They don't know what to do with us. We don't fit in their little categories."

Melinda blew out a huff.

"I should hope not. Narrow minded – the lot of them – they don't want to acknowledge us because they'd have to change their thinking. To them, we should always surrender, leaving the 'problem' to those in charge. We shouldn't be 'defending ourselves' – it is not our place."

Warren's glare grew fierce.

"Too damn bad – if we waited on someone else, we'd all be dead or 'pacified.' I don't really care if it annoys them, or hurts someone's feelings."

Will raised his hand for attention.

"No one is disagreeing with you. We all made a choice to do something instead of giving up or panicking. Now, how do we use that?"

Silence reigned for several long minutes before Melinda smiled.

"No matter what anyone thinks, appearances matter. We need to go in looking like individuals who have chosen to band together. They need to see that we were not forced to become a team – we chose to."

While the others just looked at her, Will and Warren nodded.

"Good point, Snowflake."

She sniffed delicately before turning to the de facto leader.

"I think Melinda's right. We go in, dressed just like we are right now, but we do it as a group. Where do you think they'll have the meeting?"

Ethan straightened up.

"Probably in the gym. When you factor in all of our parents and whoever is representing the school, it'll be too large of a group for an office."

"Right, so we need to sit together. Nobody goes to sit with their parents."

Zach leaned forward.

"Will, man, you'll have to be in front."

Even as he began to protest, the others argued him down. They had followed his orders at the dance, and they would follow his lead now.

_There you have it! Another chapter done – the meeting is next. Stay tuned!_


	10. Get a Clue

_I am so, so sorry this has taken so long! Real life intruded drastically – this year, I've had two funerals and two weddings and…..Sorry! Thank you though for the lovely reviews and requests. Again, if you saw or heard it in the movie, I don't own it._

Chapter 10

Get a Clue

The seven friends walked into the gym, having been directed there by Miss Ayudante, the school secretary. They entered exactly as planned. Will strode through first with Layla just behind him, slightly to the right. Ethan, Majenta, and Zach followed next, with Maj directly behind Will and the boys on either side of her. Melinda and Warren came in last. Melinda glided in and turned to the right, shifting a few steps forward. Warren stalked in, staying in the back but sliding to the left. The order had been deliberately chosen – Will in the front with Layla as his immediate backup; the other three freshmen in the center for some cover; Melinda and Warren last to watch their backs and keep an exit open. The adults already seated in the chairs on the floor of the gym stared at them.

Principal Powers shook off her surprise and gave a maternal smile at the teenagers. Melinda gave a tiny sniff.

_Does she know how patronizing that looks?_

"Welcome, students. We are going to get some details handled first, so if you would not mind having a seat in the bleachers? Thank you."

With that, she retook her seat, fully expecting them to jump immediately to her tune. Most of the adults turned back to the table that had been set up for the staff. Nobody moved for a long moment. As the silence drew out, everyone looked back at them. Will, his face stoic and carefully blank, raised a single eyebrow before giving the tiniest of smirks. Glancing back at Warren, he tilted his head. With that, Warren led the way towards the bleachers nearest the door. Maj, Zach and Ethan followed. Melinda drifted back to climb the steps with Layla only after Warren had gotten into place. Will brought up the rear once the two girls were seated. Most of the watching adults looked confused, but Melinda noticed that Will's parents and Warren's mother were all smiling.

A slight frown marring her forehead, the school's principal turned back to the people seated in front of her. Her determination to control the meeting was clear. While she and the staff, along with a representative from the Board, sat on a slightly raised platform, the parents were arranged in front of them in rows. It looked like a miniature assembly. With a polite smile, she began speaking.

"Thank you all for coming in this morning…"

An hour or so later, the seven teenagers lounged in the bleachers, staring down at the adults in disbelief. Of all the adults present, only Ms. Peace, and Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold had even tried to include them. Now they sat, watching, as the "meeting" devolved into a petty, blame-assigning argument. Ms. Peace had long since left them to their own devices, shrugging her shoulders and sitting back to watch. Mr. Stronghold sat to her right, his arms folded and chin down – he appeared to be taking a nap. On his other side, Mrs. Strong hold watched with sparking eyes and compressed lips as the others shouted.

Will started doodling on a notepad as Layla watched. Her lips twitched as their eyes met, and she turned her gaze towards the window. As she concentrated, he passed the notebook back to Maj. She looked at it, her eyes growing intense, while Ethan and Zach peered over her shoulder. As the dark haired shifter passed the pad back to her, Melinda noticed a small smile slide across Ms. Peace's lips before her face fell back into a passive mask. Whatever Will was up to, Warren's mom was not planning to stop it. Even as she turned her eyes to the paper, Maj changed forms and scurried down the row. Only six pairs of eyes saw her leave.

Melinda focused on the note, tilting it slightly so Warren could see it as well.

_**Time's up – enough is enough. Maj – go get as many of Medulla's inhibitor sprays as you can. Stay outside until the commotion starts. Zach – when everything hits, grab a couple of bottles and go for the teachers and Principal Powers. Ethan & Maj – go for the parents. I'll take some and hit from above. Melinda – Layla's going to make it __very__ wet down there. Lock down the powerhouses down until we can get them. Warren – watch our backs and come in wherever necessary.**_

As she met his eyes Warren quirked an eyebrow towards the ceiling. Melinda glanced up and saw that Layla's vines had crept along the sprinkler system pipes.

_Yep, that'll do it._

A small movement at the door seemed to be all the sign Will needed. With a nod from him, the vines tightened around the pipes, and water cascaded down on to the unsuspecting adults. Confused by the sudden shower, they all looked up. Surging to their feet, the teenagers scattered.

Melinda threw out her arms and allowed her power to flow out in full force. She gathered the moisture from the air and focused on the most dangerous targets first. Before they could look around, she had the Commander, Jetstream, Principal Powers, and Boomer encased in blocks of ice. She carefully trapped Medulla and the Mediator in ice cages.

As she dealt with them, Warren had moved higher up the bleachers and used some fireballs to keep the other adults off kilter. As they focused on him, Layla managed to catch the remaining teachers and many of the parents in webs and cages made of vines. Only a handful of the adults had powers that allowed them to escape.

Those few adults were dealt with by the trio of so-called "Sidekick" freshmen. Maj, Ethan, and Zach had surrounded the adults and started dousing them with Medulla's inhibitor spray. It would suppress their powers for two or three hours. They focused on the handful that could avoid the triple threat of ice, fire, and flora. Will came in over the top to spray those that had been caught in the various traps.

After making sure all of the adults had received hits of the inhibitor, and waiting long enough for it to take affect, all of the teenagers except for Will returned to their seats. Melinda allowed her ice to melt away, assisted in a few cases by carefully placed flames from Warren. Layla withdrew her vines while Ethan fiddled with a small device that Maj handed him. The doors and windows to the gym suddenly locked. Zach sat back with a grin while Will leaned on the rail in front of him. Glancing down at the sodden and shocked adults, he gave them a small smile.

"Are you ready to listen now?"

Boomer swelled up, his eyes narrowing, and shot to his feet.

"How dare…!"

A small fireball flew past him, mere inches from his nose. He sat back down and blinked up at Warren.

"Not your time to talk."

The pyro gave the surprised man a dark look before tilting his head to Will. The freshman nodded and turned back.

"We've been here for an hour, just listening to you try and assign blame. No one is talking about the real problem here. No one is trying to figure out what to do next. If you're just going to point fingers and not actually **do** anything, can we go?"

In the silence that followed, Harmony Peace stood up. Her soft, disappointed voice echoed in the gym.

"I have to agree with Will. You have accomplished nothing so far this morning, except perhaps some loss of respect. These seven young people whom you have ignored since their arrival have provided you with an example of the very issue that concerns us today. In front of your eyes and under your noses, they planned and executed an attack. With only a few moments of surprise, they neutralized a room full of super-powered individuals. How? How did they do that? Shall I tell you?"

No one spoke. In full power mode, the Mediator stared at the staff table.

"Josie knows and so does Steve. Within moments of being defrosted, they had put the clues together. None of you have. My son and his friends were making a point. We have become blinded to the dangers that face our children. Sky High remained a safe haven for so long that we have become lackadaisical in our acceptance. We have chosen to ignore any sign that the school might become a target. Royal Pain implanted a device that allowed her remote control over the anti-gravity units. What else did she do?"

As she paused, Josie Stronghold rose to stand next to her. Her strong and maternal voice carried to every ear as she pointed to the teens.

"Those seven students spent two weeks of their free time looking into possible allies of Royal Pain – looking for people she may have recruited into her plans. While they brought their concerns to Steve and me, we were not concerned about the school. We had every confidence that you would be reviewing and working on the security to prevent similar attacks in the future. It never once occurred to me that you had decided to continue with the status quo after it had failed so dramatically."

When the Board member tried to interrupt, Jetstream glared him into silence.

"Our children had to get your attention. Despite Steve, Harmony and I trying to include them in the discussion, you pushed them aside. You ignored them and never bothered to ask their opinions about anything that has happened. Sky High is no longer the safe haven it once was. I have to ask if it is even providing the education the students will need."

When she stopped, Steve Stronghold stepped up beside the women. His voice dripped with derision.

"While the first attack can be accepted as a fluke, something new, what about the second one? Please explain to me how a villain with no connection to the school manages to invade the gym, take out half a dozen teachers and staff, and then start on the students. Would someone please explain to me why the only people who seem to be able to take out this guy were a group of seven students made up of one junior, one sophomore, and five freshmen?"

Principal Powers opened her mouth, only to snap it closed as he pointed to her.

"While I am beyond proud of what my son and his friends have done, I want to know why they are the only ones who managed to find cover, come up with a plan, and bring him down. You have roughly forty or fifty seniors about to graduate? They are going to be out there fighting to protect people – and all they can do during an attack is panic? Of these seven, only one is an upperclassman, and he's a junior. If the point of Sky High is to graduate the next generation of heroes, these seven deserve their diplomas and the rest need remedial classes."

Silence reigned in the gym once more. Will sighed, the soft sound loud in the stillness. For a moment, he simply leaned on the rail and looked at the floor. When he raised his head, calm and serious eyes focused on the three parents before shifting to the staff table.

"Mom, Dad, Ms. Peace – thank you. Principal Powers, believe me, we don't want to cause trouble. All I wanted this year was for my powers to manifest and me to survive being a freshman. Both looked pretty shaky at the beginning. If it were up to me, all I'd have to worry about is keeping Ethan and Melinda's phone numbers handy so I can pass my classes."

Will's dad grinned as he sat back down while the two mothers shook their heads.

"Really, we'd like nothing more than to come to class on Monday morning and have our only concern be Medulla's pop quiz, but that's not going to happen. On Monday morning, while everybody else tries to shove this whole thing under the rug and deny everything, we're going to be watching for potential problems."

Warren moved to stand next to him.

"No offense, but isn't that your job?"

Principal Powers stared at the two young men for a long moment. Finally she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Why? Why do you know we are going to have another problem?"

Will gave a small smile and turned to look at Melinda. She huffed, but nodded. He turned back.

"While monologue, Royal Pain announced that she had plans for opening a school for super villains – a rival for Sky High. We stopped her. A few days after the Homecoming dance, Melinda asked us all a very pointed question."

He paused; looking over the sea of faces to make sure he had everyone's attention.

"What was she going to do with two hundred babies?"

As she watched their reactions, Melinda gave a tiny sniff.

_1...2…okay, Layla's mom has figured it out…3…oh, and there's a few more parents…4…5…BINGO!_

Principal Diana Powers went chalk white.


	11. Teammates

_Whoo! About time I updated this! Sorry for the length between updates, but I'm hoping I can get better about that with it being summer & all! Disclaimer – I am not a mouse, or a ghost, or a man…so, I'm in no way related to Disney…if it is from the film, it is not mine!_

Chapter 11

Teammates

Later that afternoon, the seven teens lounged in the Stronghold living room. Will's parents had to rush off and deal with some kind of overgrown Venus flytrap while Warren's mother had returned to her negotiations. Before leaving, Josie had issued a blanket invitation for them to stay the weekend, so everyone had split up, grabbed some stuff and then returned for an extended slumber party. As was to be expected, the first topic of discussion was the meeting earlier that day.

"I don't believe we actually had to stage an attack to get their attention! Two ruined dances weren't enough?" questioned Maj as she perched on the arm of the sofa.

"People see what they want to see," Melinda answered. She was sitting cross-legged on the single stuffed chair across from the fireplace, across from Ethan and Zach as they sat on the floor and leaned on the coffee table.

"If it doesn't fit into their narrow little view, they write it off or explain it away. They come up with any excuse not to see what's right in front of them," Warren stated as he came out of the kitchen with a couple of sodas. Handing one to Will, he stepped back to lean on the arm of Melinda's chair. "Snowflake?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, but frosted the root beer he held out. He smirked, but nodded in thanks.

Will snorted softly and leaned back against the sofa cushions. He took a swig of his soda and nodded at Warren.

"They really, **really** did not want to acknowledge that they had a problem. Sky High has always been safe. Royal Pain shook them up, but she was a student…and student council president – they expected her to be a fluke. This new attack did more than shake them up; it scared them. All of the sudden, those hallways are not so safe any longer – and they're responsible for a bunch of kids' lives."

Melinda's eyes narrowed in consideration as she looked at Will in the silence that followed his comments. Despite his young age, Will had done a lot of growing up in the past few weeks. He'd been able to take charge of this motley little crew despite the mix of personalities, and two of them being older. The lessons in "heroism" that his parents had been feeding him seemed to have really begun to take root in him.

_Even Warren's a bit impressed. He may throw sarcasm around like confetti, but he took Will's orders last night without argument. He's a heavy hitter, and can lead when necessary, but he knows he's not a team leader. Will is – he's got that charisma built in. He'll be the one talking to the masses while Warren's in the shadow guarding his back. Thank all that's holy – they're the good guys!_

Her lips quirked slightly as she imagined what type of damage the two could do if they decided to walk on the other side of that line. A nudge on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Casting a look up at the pyro, she could see a half-hidden concern in the dark eyes. Once he had her attention, he cast a look at the girl sitting quietly next to Will.

Layla's eyes were downcast, focusing on a small patch of carpet. She'd been fairly quiet since they had gathered back together. Her silent demeanor and red-rimmed eyes had everyone concerned, but they had been trying to act normal, waiting for her to speak up about whatever was bothering her. It didn't look like that was going to happen anytime soon unfortunately. Melinda gave Warren a tiny nod before standing.

"Will, can I shift you for a moment, please?" Melinda asked as she moved over to the sofa.

An expression of relief came over the young man's face. No matter how much he had grown, he was still a male…a teenage male…and teary-eyed girls were still a form of kryptonite. As she sat down next to the tiny red-head, she could feel the tiny tremors that shook her frame. Melinda frowned in concern and glanced up at Maj, who gave the tiniest of head shakes.

_Great…neither her boyfriend or her best friend know what is going on._

After another couple of moments of silence, when Layla did not even seem to register the seating change, Melinda put a comforting arm around her. The girl stiffened but did not move away.

"Layla?" asked Melinda in her softest voice. "What's wrong, sugar?"

Layla's lower lip began to tremble, and Melinda tightened her arm. She still remained silent, but now Melinda could see the glaze of tears in the green eyes and knew the girl was holding onto her control by the thinnest of margins. She lifted one white-blond eyebrow and gave Maj a direct look. The dark-haired girl leaned over and put a hand on her friend's arm.

"Layla?" Maj asked.

At that, the storm finally broke and the red-head buried her face in Melinda's shoulder. Lifting her other arm, Melinda enfolded the girl into a tight hug while Maj ran a comforting hand down her hair. The boys shifted uncomfortably, but they stayed put in a silent show of support. As the silent tears soaked into Melinda's shirt, she sent a frown of confusion towards Will. He shrugged, eyes focusing back on his weeping girlfriend.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the storm abated. Layla began to get herself under control. Maj stepped into the kitchen for a wet cloth while Warren handed Melinda a box of tissues from the mantel. The two females made quick work of cleaning up their friend. When she had finally gotten composed, Layla bit her lower lip and gazed towards Will. Melinda smiled, patted her arm and switched seats again. As she settled back into the chair, she felt Warren shift next to her and take a more stable perch on the arm of her chair. Glancing up at him, she gave a tiny nod as he flicked a look down at her.

_Well, I guess we'll both watch their backs – him physically and me emotionally. Now, what the hell happened between the school and here?_

"Layla, what happened?" Will asked, taking hold of his girlfriend's hand and frowning in concern.

They all watched as the girl in question took a deep breath and looked around the room. Her lips twitched in sorrow.

"My mom; she gave me a lot of grief about how I used my powers in a violent way this morning."

Everyone exchanged glances at that. Melinda frowned in confusion.

_What violence?_

"Nobody got hurt," Warren stated, unknowingly echoing her thoughts. "You used your powers to contain, not to harm."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I wasn't under attack, and neither was anybody else. In her mind, we were the aggressors and misused out powers."

_Of all the stupid…_

Melinda cut her thoughts off before she could get really angry.

"Does your mother not believe in proactively containing a situation?" Ethan asked. "Even the Mediator thought we handled the situation in a proper manner, and negotiations are her specialty."

A quiet look of proud satisfaction crossed Warren's face, giving it a calmer and more peaceful appearance for just a moment. Melinda bit the inside of her cheek.

_Everyone always remembers he is Baron Battle's son first. How many people actually stop to think of his mom?_

Layla was shaking her head.

"She thinks Ms. Peace was being subjective about the whole thing. My mom flat out refuses to use her powers in an aggressive way unless there is a clear and immediate threat. She believes in talking until there is no other choice."

"Dude," Zach spoke up finally. "No offense or anything, but that's a little messed up. How many people get hurt because somebody won't **do** something and try to talk it to death? Not that I'm saying you should go all medieval on people, but some people just ain't going to listen."

"Mom doesn't believe that. She never has. I think people are too quick to attack others too, but sometimes…I mean, what do you do if everyone is shouting and nobody's listening?"

Maj nodded, her violet streaks catching the light.

"Talking is good, but it only works if the other party is willing to listen."

Layla lifted her right arm in a half-shrug.

"Any way, when we got home and I got my stuff together, Mom sat me down for an 'I'm disappointed in you' talk. She almost didn't let me come over."

Warren leaned forward, leaning his arm on the leg resting on the chair. As he pinned a dark gaze on the girl, red and black strands of hair slid forward to hang loosely around his face. Melinda could feel a slight twitch in her hands that she ruthlessly suppressed.

_Now is not the time._

"All right then, nature girl, you want me to see if my mom will have a talk with yours? Maybe work some of this out?"

A sweet, but surprised smile crossed Layla's face.

"Would you?"

He gave a shrug and leaned back.

"That's how a team works."

Will and Melinda exchanged looks as the others blinked. Will rolled his eyes as she smirked in amusement. The other four still seemed surprised when Warren included himself in their number. Plus, he was the first one to actually call them a team…not just a group of friends, or outcasts, but a team. That was a hero term.

_Funny how Will is the only one of them that gets it. His parents are such independent workers, though they've learned to rely on each other. It's funny that they managed to raise such a team-oriented son. Will knows he can't do everything, and he's not arrogant enough to try._

She looked around the room. Now that Layla's problem had been handled, everyone seemed much more relaxed and ready for a break. She relaxed into the cushions and considered her new teammates. Each brought something to the mix that made them stronger.

Ethan gave the group a wealth of trivia on past heroes and villains. He had a deep love of history and the way it flowed and wandered to become today's world. His enthusiasm for research certainly helped motivate the group, if only to keep him happy.

Zach's eternal optimism kept them all motivated. His powers were among the most limited, and he didn't have Ethan's intellectual ability to increase his potential. However, his energetic and positive outlook on his future kept their spirits up.

Maj had a sharp view of the world, slightly cynical and less than enthused. However, she hid a compassionate heart and remained absolutely committed to her friends. She would do anything and go anywhere to keep them safe – grumbling the entire way.

Layla, for all her mother's efforts, would grow into quite the mama bear. She remained fiercely protective of the ones she cared about. She had already proven willing to draw attention away from someone, even when scared out of her own wits. She was resourceful, and gave the group a boost in its determination to do the right thing.

Will and Warren – light and dark sides of the same coin; they both had a lot to overcome, not the least of which was their respective fathers' reputations. They both had a desire to do well, to be independent, and a healthy distrust of society's expectations. Will had the potential to grow into a greater leader than the Commander had any dream of being. He accepted help and respected the input of others without lording his own strengths over them. Warren had a desire to protect that even his brooding had not hidden; even Boomer had seen it, turning the safety of the others over to him at Homecoming. His attitude of complete, sometimes tactless honesty gave the others a baseline they could trust and a foundation from which they could make decisions. The two made an interesting pair – the noble leader and his trustworthy lieutenant.

And Melinda herself?

_I give them a boost in science and technology, but more than that, I give them a shoulder. I get to be the big sister, the willing ear, for them to share their troubles with. I'm not a leader, and I know that, but I get to share in the effort. If we're a pack of outsiders, I guess that makes me Layla's trusted lieutenant. I can be the bad guy and tell her the truth when Maj might not feel inclined to upset her._

Watching the group sit and simply enjoy being together, Melinda could acknowledge a sense of unhappiness about the topic she was going to have to broach.

"Guys, I hate to say this, but we are going to have to talk about the meeting, and what's going to happen on Monday."


End file.
